Imaging apparatus, imaging method, and program

• US 10,091,421 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2017
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Wakazono, Masafumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ye, Lin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chan T H
• Application Number:
  US15/498,752
• Publication Number:
  US 20170230579A1
• Time in Patent Office: 523 Days
• Field of Search: 3482221
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2209/045 using mosaic colour filter
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/61 based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/673 based on contrast or high frequency components of image signals, e.g. hill climbing method
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/843 Demosaicing, e.g. interpolating colour pixel values
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/134 based on three different wavelength filter elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/447 by preserving the colour pattern with or without loss of information

Abstract

An image processing system includes circuitry that determine whether a focus operation is performed on an image, and processes the image in a high resolution mode when the focus operation is determined to be performed. The circuitry processes the image in a low resolution mode when the focus operation is determined not to be performed. The resolution of the image is lower in the low resolution mode than in the high resolution mode.

Claims

1. An image processing system, comprising:

circuitry configured to

determine whether a manual focus operation is performed by a user on an image,

display, on a display, the image in a first resolution when the manual focus operation is determined not to be performed,

process the image in a second resolution, which is greater than the first resolution, to obtain edge information in the image when the manual focus operation is determined to be performed; and

display, on the display, the image together with the edge information highlighted when the manual focus operation is determined to be performed, wherein

when the circuitry switches from processing the image in the second resolution to processing the image in the first resolution mode, the circuitry adjusts at least one of a flicker width, a size and an effective range of the image.

2. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to switch from displaying the image in the second resolution to the first resolution after the manual focus operation is completed.

3. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to drive an optical system through which the image is received during the manual focus operation.

4. The image processing system according to claim 3, wherein the circuitry is configured to determine whether the manual focus operation is performed by the user based on a depression state of a shutter button.

5. The image processing system according to claim 4, wherein the circuitry determines that the manual focus operation is performed when the shutter button is depressed to a midpoint between fully depressed and not depressed.

6. The image processing system according to claim 5, wherein the circuitry is configured to switch from processing the image in the second resolution to processing the image in the first resolution when the shutter button is released.

7. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to delay switching between displaying the image in the second resolution and the first resolution until after image recording on a computer-readable medium is complete.

8. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to highlight the edge information by changing at least one of a luminance value and color information of corresponding pixels.

9. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to:

identify a focus target in the image during the manual focus operation;

obtain, as the edge information, edge information of the focus target; and

display, on the display, the image together with the edge information of the focus target highlighted after the focus target is identified during the focus operation.

10. The image processing system according to claim 9, wherein the focus target is identified using facial recognition to recognize a face in the image.

11. The image processing system according to claim 9, wherein the focus target s user-selectable.

12. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein when the circuitry switches from processing the image in the second resolution to processing the image in the first resolution, the circuitry adjusts development parameters accordingly.

13. The image processing system according to claim 12, wherein the development parameters include a flicker width, a size and an effective range of the image.

14. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to switch between processing the image in the second resolution and the first resolution while maintaining a same viewing angle.

15. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to switch between from processing the image in first and second resolutions based on whether the edge information has been obtained.

16. The image processing system according to claim 15, wherein the circuitry processes the image in the first resolution when the edge information is not being obtained and processes the image in the second resolution when obtaining the edge information in the image.

17. An image processing method for an image processing system, comprising:

determining, by circuitry, whether a manual focus operation is performed by a user on an image;

displaying, by a display, the image in a first resolution when the manual focus operation is determined not to be performed;

processing, by the circuitry, the image in a second resolution, which is greater than the first resolution, to obtain edge information in the image when the manual focus operation is determined to be performed; and

displaying, by the display, the image together with the edge information highlighted when the manual focus operation is determined to be performed, wherein

wherein when processing the image in the second resolution is switched to processing the image in the first resolution mode, the circuitry adjusts at least one of a flicker width, a size and an effective range of the image.

18. A camera comprising:

a display; and

circuitry configured to

determine whether a manual focus operation is performed by a user on an image;

display, on the display, the image in a first resolution when it is determined that the manual focus operation is not being performed;

process the image in a second resolution, which is greater than the first resolution, to obtain edge information of an in-focus subject in the image when it is determined that the manual focus operation is being performed; and

display, on the display, the image together with the edge information highlighted when it is determined that the manual focus operation is being performed, wherein

when the circuitry switches from processing the image in the second resolution to processing the image in the first resolution mode, the circuitry adjusts at least one of a flicker width, a size and an effective range of the image.